1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to brake actuators and more particularly pertains to a rotating brake actuator which may be utilized for operating a friction brake of a bicycle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of brake actuators is known in the prior art. More specifically, brake actuators heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of operating bicycle friction brakes are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
For example, a bicycle brake lever assembly is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,444 which comprises a mount bracket having a front end and a base end fixable to a bicycle handlebar, and a brake lever extending downward from the mount bracket and having a connecting end pivotally connected to the front end of the mount bracket which further has an upper surface elongated enough to work as a palm rest for a rider.
A brake lever device for bicycles is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,094 in which a position of the center of rotation of the brake lever is close to the central axis of the handlebar to decrease and overall width of the device.
Another patent of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,613 which discloses a rotating grip brake for bicycles. Braking is applied by a rotation of a handlebar grip through a lever system to pull flexible cables operating friction brakes at one or both wheels of the bicycle. A pair of cable pulling units may be provided, each individually controlling a brake on the front or rear wheel, such that cables to both wheel brakes may be actuated by a single unit.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a rotating brake actuator for a bicycle in which a rotation of a handle grip tensions a cable connected to a friction brake of the bicycle that includes a digit operated release assembly operable to prevent a rotation of the handle grip to preclude an unintentional application of the brake. In this respect, the rotating brake actuator according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of selectively actuating a brake of a bicycle through a rotatable handle grip which includes a digit operated release assembly to preclude an unintentional application of the brake.